Chapter 100
Aurora spat out a mouthful of blood. Carissa's kick had nearly dislocated her internal organs, leaving her in such agony she couldn't make a sound for a long time. Her face ashen, she instinctively touched her neck, feeling the blood on her fingers. Her entire body trembled uncontrollably—not from fear, but from the sheer inability to accept the outcome.
She looked at Carissa in disbelief. Such martial skills were beyond anything she had ever seen. How could Carissa, of all people, possess such formidable abilities? Aurora recalled Barrett mentioning that Carissa had hurt him simply by flicking leaves—a statement that had seemed laughable then. Now, having experienced it firsthand, a surge of jealousy and hatred gnawed at her.
This swift defeat was a brutal slap in the face. Earlier, she had accused Carissa of relying on connections to rise in rank, causing several officers to be punished. Even before the fight, she had loudly berated Carissa, inciting a furor among the troops. Now, Carissa had used her prowess to refute those claims, speaking only one sentence during the entire confrontation, offering no defense.
Barrett hurried to her side, asking anxiously, "Are you hurt? Is it serious?"
Grasping Barrett's wrist, Aurora slowly stood, her chest aching terribly. Despite trying to hold back, she couldn't suppress the tears welling in her eyes. An overwhelming sense of humiliation washed over her. Worse than the humiliation was the realization that no matter how hard she fought on the Southern Frontier, she would never earn any military merit.
No, that wasn't even the worst part. The worst part was that she would have to relinquish her position as Starhaven's premier female general to Carissa.
The deafening cheers around her seemed to fade, leaving only a buzzing in her head. All the sounds converged into a single, unyielding thought: she couldn't accept this. She didn't have the same prestigious background as Carissa. She didn't have a master as skilled as Carissa's. Carissa's exceptional martial arts stemmed from her influential family. Top martial artists were easily intimidated by her father and brothers' reputations, forcing them to take Carissa as their apprentice.
She hadn't lost to Carissa; she had lost to Carissa's privileged birth. She simply didn't have the same privileged background.
"Aurora," Barrett grasped her hand. "Are you alright?"
"I didn't lose," she struggled to reclaim her voice, tears spilling over. "Barrett, I didn't lose! If I had a background like hers, I wouldn't have lost!"
Barrett remained silent for a moment before nodding slightly.
Rafael stood, tossing the Rose Spear back to Carissa. His voice amplified with inner force as he announced, "The Mystic Army will remain under the command of General Sinclair. As for General Yates's breach of military orders, she will be dealt her punishment after the battle." With that single statement, the matter was settled.
Aurora spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, feeling as if something gripped her heart tightly, leaving her in a state of utter panic. Yet she stubbornly stood her ground, her eyes burning with defiance. She couldn't let Carissa see her falter. Even in defeat, she had to lose with dignity.
Carissa didn't spare Aurora a glance. Instead, she locked eyes with Rafael, her grip on the Rose Spear trembling slightly. For a moment, she had truly wanted to kill Aurora. When the wooden stick splintered into shards, the sharpest piece was aimed directly at Aurora's neck. As she scattered the wooden chips, she felt Rafael's piercing gaze upon her. And so, she only used a subtle force on the piece aimed at Aurora's neck. Had Carissa employed the same strength that tore through Aurora's armor, Aurora would have bled profusely and suffered a swift death.
Facing Rafael's gaze, Carissa's emotions were turbulent.
Violet was the first to rush over, slapping her on the shoulder. "Snap out of it, you won!"
Carissa forced a smile. "Of course." How could she ever lose to Aurora?
Violet draped an arm around Carissa's shoulders and pointed to the cheering soldiers. "Those are the same people who once insulted you. Now, they're cheering for you. They haven't even seen your true skills! What was that move just now? It's surprising how easily Aurora was defeated."